Is Your Retail Experience Hindering Dealership Sales?

Is your dealership delivering a positive retail experience? While most in the industry would respond with a resounding ‘yes,’ or at least we like to think they would, many dealerships are falling short. According to a recent survey completed by the folks at DrivingSales, automotive sales has the potential to grow 24% if those in the industry can improve the retail experience. 

The study, which was completed over a 16 month period, took a close look at the rational and emotional variables that cause a modern consumer to report a positive or negative experience when buying a car. It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day task of maintaining a dealership and forget to look at the customer path. However, this is the single most important task for a general manager to complete. It is up to you to ensure that your potential customers are receiving all the support and information they need – from the second they visit your website, to the moment the drive off the lot in their new vehicle. After all, these are the very people that will either refer friends and family or encourage them to go elsewhere. 

Deliver a Positive Retail Experience in the Modern Age 

It is critical to deliver a positive retail experience throughout the buying funnel, and it all begins online. In fact according the same study, 61% of consumers completed their research online and avoided contact with the dealership until they stepped onto the dealership floor ready to test and buy. 

What does this tell us? Not only are consumers apprehensive to engage a dealership, they have already had several touch-points with your online showroom before ever connecting with you directly. The biggest take away from the DrivingSales study, 56% of those surveyed said they would buy more often if they felt the dealership process was easier, the impact of this retail aversion on sales is an incredible 24% of sales volume left on the table. If you’re looking to get ahead in terms of sales, the place to start is with your online retail experience. 

Here at Speed Shift Media, we are committed to helping dealerships market to motivated buyers at the ideal point in the sales funnel. If you’re ready to take your dealerships marketing program to the next level, we encourage you to learn more about what we do and how we can work together! Our highly intuitive, automated display advertising platform takes the first step to improving your online customer experience.